After a fairly decent summer (certainly by UK standards!) and with a small hint that we still might get even warmer weather next summer, we felt inspired to look at how ladders can play an important part in our favourite sun-soaked destination, the beach! The first stop on the tour is in Sidmouth, Devon, where the local beach is called Jacob's Ladder Beach. The name comes from the set of steps (not technically a ladder) that provide access from Connaught Gardens at the top of the cliff.  There is also a level pathway from the main beach so everyone can access it.  The view from the top of the ladder over the bay is stunning, especially when the tide goes out and the sands below the shingle beach are exposed.

Anyone for Ladder Toss?

The one beach game that would be the perfect fit for Jacob's Ladder Beach is the ladder toss game. We've looked at the fundamentals of the game before on this blog, but here's a quick recap: Two teams play on one ladder, which is a simple three rung construction either driven into the beach or set on a freestanding base.  Each team has three bolas, (two tennis balls joined by coloured string) that must be thrown at the rungs, with the aim being to get them wrapped around the rungs.  Points are awarded for the type of throw and the level of rung achieved. The ladder toss is perfect for the beach as a homemade ladder can be made in parts and fixed together on the spot.  It could also double as stumps for a game of beach cricket, and the bolas make a great toy for dogs as well. In Dover you will find another beach that can be accessed via a ladder. Langdon Hole is a haven for paleontologists in Kent, as the chalk cliffs and coastal erosion are the perfect conditions for discovering fossils.  The ladder forms the last part of the trail down the cliff face, but most of the trail consists of steep stairs attached to the cliff.  It's not an ideal destination for a day trip, as getting all your beach gear up and down the steep trail and ladder is quite an undertaking, but it remains a popular site with fossil hunters and is relatively secluded.

Ladder Beaches Further Afield

Further afield you will find a beautiful secluded beach with caves and clear water for snorkelling. We're talking about Tsigrado beach on the Greek island of Milos, where access is via a narrow channel in the rock face overlooking the beach.  A rope assists climbers in getting up and down and at the bottom of the channel a wooden ladder provides access straight onto the beach.  Again, it's not ideal for everyone as this ladder is the only method of access and you can only bring what you can carry in a backpack, but it's well worth the effort for the clear waters and uncrowded beach. In Brazil the Baia do Sancho is one of the top beaches, secluded and perfect for snorkelling  The beach is so secluded that the only way to get there is down a 200-foot ladder nestled in cracks in the rocks.  Like the other ladder-accessible beaches we've looked at, you can't take a lot with you but the surroundings make the adventure well worth it.  Visitors recommend getting there early and being prepared for a full day, as the ladder climb can take a while (one at a time on the ladder means that you can be waiting a while to get down there) and the snorkeling is best in the evening at high tides.  If you find yourself bored at the World Cup this is definitely worth a visit! On Saipan Island in the Northern Mariana Islands (Pacific Ocean) there is a place called Ladder Beach.  Like Jacob's Ladder Beach in the UK it is accessible via steps, but takes its name from the fact that before the stairs were installed there was a ladder in place.  Ladder Beach is a cove with sand level caves on all three sides, which makes it a lovely place to spend a day, cooling off in the shade of the caves when it is very hot.  Because it is relatively unknown it remains unspoilt by heavy tourism, so if you get the chance visit Ladder Beach before it becomes full of tourists! In Manhattan Beach's Civic Plaza there is a sculpture installation featuring thirteen wooden step ladders fixed together in a water wheel shape.  It may not be a ladder beach in the strictest sense, but this imaginative re-purposing of old ladders is quite something to look at.  From a distance the form is very striking: the water wheel shape is something that most people will be familiar with.  When you get closer it becomes apparent what the sculpture is made of, and up close you can see the drips of paint and other DIY materials on the ladders, instantly connecting the viewer with the sculpture – nearly everyone who sees this will have memories of using this type of ladder for painting and decorating.

Ladders and Art

Possibly the most surreal example of ladders on a beach we have found is a series of photographs titled Ladder by Walter Kitundu and artist Joy Umali.  They took twisted metal ladders to Rodeo Beach in San Francisco early in the morning when the place was deserted and the morning sunrise over the calm seas provided the perfect setting for the ladder sculptures.  Some of the images look like Salvador Dali paintings, and the one where Umali is climbing up one of the ladders make you think it must be the work of Photoshop, but everything in this series was shot on location.  The coarse sands hold the ladder upright, and with enough stability for them to be climbed, while the sun and moonlight illuminate the scene with an ethereal quality.  It wouldn't quite be the same with a set of commercial ladders and it's this combination of the surreal and the sublime that makes this series so powerful.